14 Things Living in Ottawa Teaches You About Dating

All fun and games? Keep telling yourself that.

With all of the holidays coming up, you're probably looking for a bae. It's a lot harder than it looks but there are always those people who serial date and you have no idea how they do it. 'Cuffing season', as some may call it, is around the corner and with the amount of people in Ottawa, you're bound to find someone. But there are rules and there are things to be known.

If you've lived in Ottawa long enough, you know it's not easy dating or finding someone you like enough to date. It's basically trial and error, but in order to find the one, you'll need to keep these things in mind:

1. You went to school with half of the people you swipe left on Tinder.

You can't get away from high school even 6 years later. You'll swipe right on a few who you were actually friends with and throw sarcastic comments back and forth, but realistically you'd never be interested in them. They saw you at your worst and you want to forget those years anyways.

2. Stay away from certain bars downtown if you're looking for the one.

Does Tequila Jacks come to mind first? There are certain bars in the ByWard Market that are just not appropriate to meet your soulmate and if you're of age, then you already know which ones those are. These guys and girls at these certain bars are only focused on tonight, and would never consider the future with you. Beware.

3. For every good guy, theres 5 fvckboys.

Your last boyfriend/girlfriend was so amazing and now your standards are set very high. Well, to find another one like them, you must go through the hard process of all those shitty people who only want you for your body. You'll find that person again, just be patient.

4. It's hard to find a good spot for a first date.

How do you impress someone when you have no money? When you're living in a small city, it's hard to find a good spot to take someone that doesn't require your entire bank account. There are a few places to take a date in Ottawa that won't break the bank, and something that is actually exciting for both people.

5. You'll most likely see your ex on your first date if it's downtown.

It's just inevitable that you'll see at least someone you know. It's not usually a big deal, but someone that knows someone knows your ex and they're bound to find out. The ByWard Market is like a warp zone of all the people you never want to see again all at the same but wrong time.

Was it your ex-best friend? Was it a girl you've just crept on Instagram? Either way, you know their ex and you secretly hate them for it. Even though things are over, you still harbour jealousy and you definitely creep their Instagram even more than you did before. You're prettier, don't worry.

7. "It's crazy to think we wouldn't have met if __________ didn't happen!"

Realistically, you would have met at some point. Ottawa is so small, and Tinder is used so often that there is a good chance you would have met somehow. But be glad that you met anyways, because it's hard to date in Ottawa.

8. It's okay to try different ways of dating.

Online dating, Tinder, Bumble, speed dating, it doesn't hurt to try it. When you're looking for your one true love, you'll do anything. But again, don't be desperate. If it's meant to be, it will be.

9. You'll never actually end up dating that girl you bought McDonald's for on Rideau Street.

Her number was fake. And that McDonald's was delicious.

10. You'll definitely cannot please them all.

Please don't answer that guy who asks you to meet him in the ByWard Market at 2 in the morning. You deserve better than that, and the guy you want to date wouldn't ask that question. Say no and move on.

11. Your standards are probably too high.

Jake Gyllenhaal may as well be a fictional character because you won't find him in Ottawa. You'll be so much happier if you just lower your standards to, let's just say, someone more like Zac Efron in the last High School Musical. That's more realistic.

12. Stop looking in all the wrong places.

They say they come to you when you least expect it, which is so true. Looking at bars and clubs when everyone is wasted is not the place to meet someone, or on the OC Transpo late at night. Once you stop looking, you'll find them.

13. If you don't drive, good luck.

It's unattractive to either sex when the person their interested doesn't drive. If they have to drive you everywhere around the city, it's probably not a deal breaker but it's definitely not cool. It shows independence and maturity when you drive, which is a huge thing when looking for a serious relationship.

14. Never save a number in your phone until you're actually interested.

Or else you'll have multiple people in your phone with the name 'Dan' and no last name. If all of these are off of Tinder, and you have no idea what their last name is, then they're not important enough to be in your phone.